Sila Warrington
Sila Warrington (b. 16 March, 2009) is a young witch and student at Hogwarts. :"Stubborn lion? I knew you were a lion. Very brave, do what you want, when you want. Stubborn lion and shy badger- I want to be brave like you" :—Sila and her mentor, Vela Cygnus (('OOC Note:' The following is not to be used in any IC (In-Character) way unless otherwise allowed by the character themselves. Meta-gaming is not tolerated)) 'Introductory notes:' Sila is currently a second year hufflepuff student at Hogwarts, simply put. Standing just below 5 foot tall, she's shorter than even some of the first year students and manages to blend in with her surroundings quite well. Except for when she's wearing her hat, at least. She's got a frail, thin build and always looks under-nourished, even if she isn't. As a result, she falls prey to illness and injury quite easily (especially when combined with her innate clumsiness). Pale blonde hair is often worn without much care for style, either loosely tied back if grown out, or worn as-is when short. Her blue eyes shift between a bright, almost ice-like tone to a more dull gray, reflecting her physical/emotional well being. Generally quiet, most students and Professors don't even know she's there until she pipes up with an unexpected answer to a common question. Some even wonder why she isn't in more advanced classes- but what most don't know is how much she struggles with simple applications of magic. Being sensitive to sounds and distractions, focusing becomes difficult- even more so if her mind is running itself in circles as it's prone to doing. As a young child, Sila always had a nagging feeling in the back of her mind that she had already seen when something happened- a feeling that was similar to what muggles would often call 'deja vu'. As she grew older, these feelings shifted into vivid dreams, even nightmares of things to come. But it wasn't until she took a trip into the depths of the Dark Forest in her first year at Hogwarts did those dreams turn into something more. Affected by the magic, perhaps, or simply just coincidence, the girl fell to a complete prophetic vision for the first time in her life. Such was the true beginning of her gift- the rare ability to See. Biography: 'Early Life' 'Ages 0-5' Despite being born in to a pureblood extremist family, Sila and her twin sister Mickayla lived a very secluded and withdrawn life when it came to anything involving magic. Having lived through the first and second Wizarding wars and Voldemort's rise and fall, her mother had enough of the chaos and moved to live amongst the peaceful ways of Muggles - much to the disapproval of her extended family. There was no convincing her- as usual, she was set in her ways and had made up her mind long ago. With her magical status hidden from all, a few years passed as she settled in and met the man who would be the eventual father to the girls. Believed to be marrying a muggle, her entire family broke all contact completely that day- leaving the twins with no contact to their magical roots. In the middle of May the girls were born, healthy as ever- though Sila was always the smaller, more fragile one of the two. Things were smooth and calm for a while, but their mother's secret wouldn't stay such for much longer. As the twins grew older, weird things started to happen around them; occasionally lights flickered during tantrums, or small objects would soar around the room. Falls that should naturally harm the toddlers seemed to have no lasting effect on them. It was then that their mother knew - the girls were magical as well, and there would be no way to keep it hidden from their father for much longer. He didn't take it as well as she hoped. Seemingly in disbelief, he began to lash out each time the word 'magic' was ever mentioned. Each time something abnormal happened, he raised his voice, stormed out of the room, or neglected to help their mother with the twins. Sila was the shy one who tried to get out of his way during his rages- but that merely made her the target of his frustrations instead. Soon he got physical. Late one evening, at about 5 years old, Sila was alone after an earlier crying fit had made one of the lamp bulbs explode. On his last straw he stormed over to the girl, picked her up and with a shove he pinned her against the wall, pressing his forearm against her neck. Tears clung to the corners of her eyes- but she knew she couldn't show him she was scared. Showing you were sad or scared only made him threaten more. Even as a child she had to keep her emotions under control. Even the slightest slip up could cause more magic to accidentally happen- and it wasn't good when anything like that happened around him. "You really shouldn’t be so trusting," he sneered in her face. "The world is a dangerous place. You'll learn soon enough," The next night he was gone without a word, with nothing but a single phrase written on a piece of paper for their mother. It was then she learned that he was not a muggle- rather, he was a squib who had grown jaded, developing a hatred for everything and anything magical. Blind jealousy and /fear/ controlled him. Their mother moved the kids to a small town in Appleby, England which bordered the wizarding world and muggle world both. She never gave the kids a real explanation on why Dad left, even as they moved to be completely alone. Life in the wizarding world Age 6-11 The next few years were so much different for the girls. Sila took her own path, her personality growing to be drastically different than her sister's. While her sister was the careless troublemaker, Sila was the careful, but all too gullible one who just desperately wanted friends and wanted to learn everything she could get her hands on. Their mother homeschooled the girls and rarely let them out of the house for long. In some ways she was over-protective, but nothing could stop them from wanting to get away and explore. And explore was what they did. Sila, especially, took a liking to the outdoors. Having made friends with a little redheaded boy, the two often went on adventures in the forests and rivers around their homes. Picking up flowers, sitting in the trees, the two became inseparable as time went on... but a kid's curiosity knows no bounds. Their bond grew over the next three years, and their exploring became just that much more risky. The two of them snuck out one night to go look for a clearing in the woods where they could watch the stars together- unaware that the full moon had fallen that night. In the distance a flickering light was spotted by the girl; thinking it was one of the fairies she had read about, the two of them ran forward. The light seemed to recede as the two approached, leading them deep into the forest's paths until something nearby let out a nasty snarl. A werewolf had caught the two kids unaware and lurched forward, jaws snapping and claws swiping out for an easy meal. Terrified, Sila tried to grab her friend's hand and pull him away but it was already too late. The wolf caught him first, leaving her no other option but to run as far as she could until eventually no more cries could be heard echoing through the forest. She had escaped- but at what cost? It was a secret she was unable to tell. Her mind reached its limits of what it was capable of holding, and fragmented itself as its only defense to the trauma. Her mother and sister never quite figured out just what happened that night- only that from then on, the Sila they both knew had changed. Gone was the adventure-loving girl without a sense of fear, instead replaced by a girl so sensitive that even the smallest things would make her break down in tears. Two years passed- two difficult, long and painful years of never quite knowing why full moons hurt so much. Never fully understanding just what happened that night, or where her friend had gone. Broken from too much to handle, her memory had shattered- that entire night was but a faint memory that replayed in her dreams every so often, waking her up with a face full of tears and a heart racing so fast it hurt. Their 11th birthday came around, as did their invitation letter to Hogwarts. Without a moments hesitation, the twins were sent off with supplies to their first day of wizarding school. 'Education at Hogwarts' Year 1 The first day of Hogwarts came all too soon. Unprepared and without a clue what to expect, Sila sat upon the stool as the Sorting hat was placed upon her head. It felt like forever as the hat argued with itself. "You could be great in Ravenclaw- wits beyond measure, a careful mind..." /I'm not that smart../ ''She'd argue back, interrupting the hat. Minutes passed, though it felt like an eternity before the hat piped up again. '"A loyal heart, patience and loyalty beyond all else... Right, what do I know...? Only been around about a thousand years. If you say so, then it shall be Hufflepuff!"' >The first of her family to be sorted in Hufflepuff, the little girl shyly joined the table of badgers with her sister. So began her first year at the magical school. Her first few weeks were spent wandering the halls alone, getting pushed into broom closets by the moving stairs and generally trying to learn her way around the castle. Classes were tough, and she hadn't yet spoken a word to anyone; most assumed she was unable to speak and never bothered her about it. No one spoke to the girl, in fact it seemed most didn't even notice she was there to begin with. She was essentially invisible as she kept to herself whenever she could. '''The beginnings of a gift' A secret trip into the forest one night shook up her world that had just begun to settle. Blindly following some older years inside, she hadn't a clue what she was in for- but whether by coincidence or not that same night the old dreams began to resurface into violent, vivid nightmares. This time they felt different, though. Accompanied by a surge of emotions, the little girl woke up in a panic and spent the rest of the night agonizing over the dream. The next night flipped her whole world upside down as the nightmares came to life. Having perfectly predicted an entire disagreement between students and Centaurs, Sila was terrified and left in disbelief. No one believed her when she claimed to have dreamt the events just prior- instead, they rushed her off to the Hospital wing and made her take various potions to sleep. Each and every attempt to get clarification on what was going on inside her head failed- the Divination professor blew her off with the suggestion of just drinking some tea, the Potions professor ignored her. Left alone with no one who believed her, Sila was left to handle the vivid "dreams" alone- even her friends were unable to soothe the fears. As months went by, she withdrew more and more. Many sleepless nights were had as she eventually hid away from people, fearing that someone would call her crazy again. She told no one else of these "dreams" again- after all, no one believed her anyway. One day she followed her only real friend into the forest to get their mind off an argument from earlier when everything happened too fast. Overcome with a huge surge of emotions again, this time the fragmented images from previous dreams all came together at once in a full, prophetic vision. In pain and terrified, she fell to the forest floor silently sobbing until Alice pulled her out of the forest. The sudden shift in her ability confirmed her worst fears- these dreams weren't just normal dreams; this was something else. With the Divination professor missing, she had no one to turn to. Thus began the downward spiral. The past come back to haunt her As if handling this unknown ability wasn't difficult or confusing enough, each full moon the fractured memories of her past revisited her dreams- until history seemed ready to repeat itself again. That night ghosts flew around foreboding all of the dangers of a full moon. A howl echoed through the forests and a werewolf pushed its way through the gates onto school grounds. In a panic, the little badger shutdown. Frozen in place and unable to move or respond, she sat there with silent tears streaming down her cheeks. The professors were quick to react and got the werewolf back off castle grounds, but the fresh memory and close swipe with the creature of her past left Sila even more desolate than before. A few more months passed where the girl waited in the divination room every night, hoping that by some miracle Miller would come back and have all the answers. No amount of books or reading could convince her that what she was reading was true- nor did she find any way of easing the trouble it brought. The crazy Divination lady It wasn't until a late December night did a crazy lady come waltzing in through the Divination tower, carrying suitcases and tarot cards and various other things that seemed to jump right out of her hands. At first sight, the lady looked insane- but the more she spoke the more sense she made (even if she worded things very oddly). Professor Vela Cygnus had come from the Ministry after catching word that a young student was struggling with the new development of the ability to See. More than eager to help, the Professor quickly jumped in and earned Sila's trust. Every movement, every word was carefully chosen with the sensitive girl's needs in mind. Lessons were given to help give order to the chaos inside her head, and with every setback Cygnus (now nicknamed "Zyggy") was there by her side to hold her up again. Taking on the role of her mentor, Zyggy instilled a new found sense of trust in the broken girl. The second vision The tri-wizard began and merely a month into it, Sila was faced with another full vision. This time, however, she wasn't alone- Zyggy was there by her side to guide her through and help her through the aftermath. One of the tri-wizard champions was struggling, seemingly /dying/ even- but Zyggy insisted to leave the heavy work to her. Sila was a "time spy"- spying on the future and bringing the information to someone who /could/ help. Abandonment Having finally accepted that she was a Seer, a letter was sent home to her mother to tell her the news and to ask for some further information about her family. Things didn't quite go as Sila hoped, though, as the letter she received back made her heart sink. In disbelief or in fear, her mother said no more - she wasn't allowed back home, nor was she considered to be her daughter anymore. She was to stay at Hogwarts until the headmistress decided what to "do with her". Devastated and lost for words, she kept the contents of the letter secret from everybody around her until the next time she got to see Zyggy. Withholding the secret tore the girl apart, but keeping it locked up inside for the Christmas break was easier than fending off questions. Above all, though the immense loneliness and the resurge of abandonment stung worse than anything. The breakdown The next time Zyggy and Sila met up for another lesson, Sila looked so close to her breaking point. Stumbling over her words and close to tears, Zyggy tried to delay the inevitable and teach the struggling girl a new way to self soothe when overwhelmed. Together, they took a visit into an old favored memory through the pensieve, using the calming visuals to aid in a guided meditation. The lessons were just not quite enough this time though, as she soon returned to the same destructive and cycling anxious thoughts, wearing trenches into her mind. Zyggy was faced with a tough decision. Did she push, and guide her through the fall, or did she wait for it to inevitably happen at some future date, when she /might/ be prepared for it? Sila needed to feel - she needed to break. If she ever had a hope, it would only be once she had reached the place of clarity one acquired after having hit the bottom and found out it wasn't so bad. It was inevitable, and thus she did- she asked just the questions needed, said just the right words to make the young girl break completely. Zyggy was there to guide her through it with full control, proving to Sila that she would always be there and would always care for the girl, even at her lowest points. Where those who should have been her strongest supporters turned from her, Zyggy persisted. She was more than just a mentor at this point- she was the guardian that Sila never had. That night, Zyggy left Sila her signature lantern-hat by Sila's bedside as a small gift. Ever since, the hat has rarely left her head except for rare occasions. 'The Tri Wizard' As the Tri-Wizard tournament went on, Sila kept distanced from it for most of the year. None of the foreign students paid her any mind except for one Durmstrang student who insisted on sharing some candy with her. If anything, that was how she preferred it anyway. The first task came and went, as did the second. Outside of the tournament, however, things were starting to get a bit odd. In particular, Professor Digby had started to act more...fishy. Occasionally Sila would spot him searching the castle grounds for something, and his shoes were always soaked- but she had no clue just what he was looking for, or where he had been looking. For the most part, she shrugged it off without much concern and just focused on classes. But life always had unexpected turns when you least needed it- and Sila was no exception. 'Another vision' Not long before the third task was due to start the little girl had yet another vision- this time in the middle of a Divination class. What she saw sparked a new sense of paranoia, of distrust. Professor Fox had attacked someone, so it seemed- but who? The 'victim' was someone she just couldn't figure out from the foggy remnants of the vision itself. Still, the obvious question remained as to why Fox was attacking someone. Despite Zyggy's careful reminder that not all is what it may seem, Sila's distrust of Professor Fox grew tenfold. Absolutely convinced that he was up to no good, she spent the next few weeks trying to find any sort of information she could. Even in Defense Against the Dark Arts class, Professor Fox seemed halfway distant, as if focused on something else. As the last task neared, Sila's focus was locked onto the Hogwarts champion from the vision earlier in the year- Helena Rhydderic. Each day that went she seemed to look more tired, more dazed and ill- and yet no one seemed to be paying any mind to any of Zyggy's concerns. Neither Professor nor student seemed to realize what was going on, or what trouble lay beneath the struggling champion. ---tbc--- Year 2 Personality and Traits An androgynous-appearing girl with a strong heart and a keen, but over sensitive mind. Gifted with the ability to not only See, but also see things of a mundane sense that most would miss, she's extremely perceptive and curious. Struggles with being very sensitive to sensory input. Loud noises, changes in emotional states. Chaos can and will cause her to shut down until it's passed. Stubborn, determined, intelligent, fiercely independent, highly perceptive with a Fire in the belly, and a strong sense of morality and ethics, and a code of honour above all else, and the attitude to tell those who deserve it to shove off. Not a very daring type. Much more methodical, the type to sit back, wait and see, all while devising various plans and failsafes. Brilliant but struggles to fit in with those of her age, preferring the company of a select few older students who seem to understand her. Often falls short with practical/applied magic, struggling to focus enough. She refuses to give up and will try until exhaustion. Also tends to be rather clumsy and goofy when comfortable around people. 'Magical Abilities and Skills' - Seer (more info to come)- - Incredibly smart and rather advanced for her age...when it comes to theoretical work. Falls short with practical/applied magic quite often, struggling to do various spells that should be easy for students her year. 'Possessions' -Silver lime wood wand. 10 1/2 inches. Unicorn core.- -Hand-made journal - A Witch hat with an oversized lantern magically attached, given to her by her mentor Vela Cygnus. It has been charmed and spelled with various spells including: sound dampening charms, impervious charms, damage-resistance, and a modified protego spell. - A small gleaming silver pensieve inscribed on every inch with scrolling, winding, interlaced runes and symbols. -A slightly oversized hoodie with the same spells laid into it as the hat. -A Mesmerizer. A beautiful, fragile looking icicle shaped crystal phial strung on a shining gold bead chain. The ornate stopper holding the phial to the necklace is made out of rose-gold and shaped like curling vines and flowers. You can see the light reflect on it, when it is filled with memories or other translucent liquids, it becomes a thing of visual interest. Used to aid in meditation and serve as a distraction when things get overwhelming. -A worn, well-loved set of tarot cards Zyggy gave her that was passed down from mentor to apprentice through several generations. -A small blue book carried around her neck by some string. It's linked by a Protean charm to an identical one that Zyggy carries around her neck, and is used for the two to alert one another when something urgent happens, or when one of them needs the other. Sila's book also has a small pouch with a few scented herbs in it (lavender and mint). 'Relationships' Vela Cygnus - "Zyggy" is her mentor and also the Divination professor at Hogwarts. She's practically become her mother in a sense with how protective and caring she is. It took a little while for Sila to trust her, after losing Miller in the middle of her first year- but Zyggy proved herself to care unconditionally for the girl and has been there for her through her hardest times. From developing her ability, learning to control it, and learning to not fear all that can come from it, they've been through a lot together and have grown incredibly close as a result. Alice Debloom Her very first friend, house-mate, and one of the few people she clung to in her first year when things took a heavy turn for the worse. While there was a period of time when Sila had nearly no one to go to, Alice was there. Though they have not talked ever since Alice left Hogwarts, Sila still misses her greatly and tries to carry on the lessons her friend had taught her. Caelyn Wulflied One of the first people to discover her 'ability' and confirm the scattered pieces for her, Wulf is now practically a big brother to her. She's possibly the only person he'd be afraid of angering aside from Serenity. She's not afraid to go up to him and smash him in the head with a snowball, or give the biggest glare if he forgot to keep up a promise to her. Serenity Mae Anderson Serenity is one of the people you'd least expect to be in the house of green. Rather calm and sweet, Serenity has always tried to be the voice of calm reasoning even when Sila was freaking out over something big or small. Sila saw the relationship between Wulf and her way before it ever actually happened, and can't help but tease them whenever the chance occurs. Zero Upton One of her newer friends, but just as loyal and trustworthy as one could be. He's always been there one step behind Sila, not afraid to let her fall and get a little bruised up so she could learn to stand back up on her own- but he's always been there to help her back up afterwards. Has been on the receiving end of quite a few very successful knockback jinxes during some charms practice with her... Briony Rookswood Though Sila is still getting to know Bri, she's started to stick to her, Zero and Cassie's side whenever they're around. Bri has a tendency to fuss over her like a mother would, but Sila's already grown used to it and usually doesnt mind too much. Cassie Middles As it is with Bri, Sila is still getting to know Cassie but enjoys the peaceful, friendly company that she always brings. Cassie seems to have this silent understanding of the various things Sila does or doesn't like and is quick to try and help whenever she can. Cybil Deverill Short tempered, crazy little red headed veela that seems to LOVE calling Sila "Squirrel". Sila is still somewhat unsure about her, but she seems to have good intentions and truly does care about the little hufflepuff.